BDSM is a variety of usually erotic techniques or roleplaying involving bondage, willpower, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, along with other relevant interpersonal dynamics. Supplied the wide selection of procedures, a number of which may be engaged in by people that tend not to take into account on their own for being practising BDSM, inclusion within the BDSM community or subculture often is alleged to rely upon self-identification and shared practical experience.

The initialism BDSM is initially recorded in the Usenet put up from 1991, and is also interpreted as a combination of the abbreviations B/D (Bondage and Willpower), D/s (Dominance and submission), and S/M (Sadism and Masochism). BDSM is currently utilized as a capture-all phrase covering a wide range of activities, varieties of interpersonal associations, and distinct subcultures. BDSM communities generally welcome everyone by using a non-normative streak who identifies With all the community; this will likely incorporate cross-dressers, physique modification fans, animal roleplayers, rubber fetishists, and Some others.

Routines and interactions in BDSM in many cases are characterized via the individuals' taking over roles which might be complementary and include inequality of ability; Hence, the thought of knowledgeable consent of both the companions is essential. The phrases submissive and dominant are often utilised to distinguish these roles: the dominant associate ("dom") takes psychological Management over the submissive ("sub"). The phrases major and bottom also are used; the highest is the instigator of an motion while the bottom is definitely the receiver in the motion. The 2 sets of terms are subtly distinct: such as, somebody may possibly prefer to act as bottom to another man or woman, for example, by getting whipped, purely recreationally, with no implication of staying psychologically dominated, and submissives may be requested to therapeutic massage their dominant associates. Even though the base carries out the motion and the top receives it, they've not automatically switched roles.

The abbreviations sub and dom are commonly made use of instead of submissive and dominant. At times the female-distinct phrases mistress, domme, and dominatrix are applied to explain a dominant female, instead of the sometimes gender-neutral term dom. Individuals who alter among prime/dominant and bottom/submissive roles—irrespective of whether from relationship to relationship or within a offered partnership—are referred to as switches. The precise definition of roles and self-identification is a common subject of discussion among the BDSM contributors.